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Pasting in Vim within Git Bash on Windows

Ah, I see the issue—Vim’s p command in Git Bash (which runs on Windows) can be finicky, especially when dealing with the system clipboard or external text. This is a common gotcha because Git Bash uses MinTTY as its terminal emulator, and Vim’s default behavior doesn’t always play nice with Windows’ clipboard. The p command only pastes from Vim’s internal yank buffer (what you copied with y inside the same Vim session). For anything from outside Vim (like copying from Notepad or a browser), you need the terminal’s paste or clipboard integration.

Don’t worry—here’s how to handle it step by step, tailored to your “select all, delete, and paste into new text” workflow. I’ll cover internal pasting (which should already work) and external pasting.

Quick Check: Does Your Vim Support System Clipboard?

First, verify if your Vim can access the Windows clipboard directly (this fixes a lot):

1. Open Git Bash.
2. Run vim --version | grep clipboard (or open Vim with vim, then type :version and look for +clipboard).
   • If it shows +clipboard, great—you can use "+p for pasting from Windows clipboard.
   • If -clipboard or nothing, it’s not supported (common in Git Bash’s bundled Vim). Skip to the terminal paste methods below.

If unsupported, consider installing a full Vim for Windows (e.g., via Chocolatey: choco install vim) or using Neovim/WSL for better integration.

1. Internal Pasting (Yank Within Vim, Paste in Same Session)

This is what my previous instructions targeted—copying inside Vim and pasting to a new file in the same session. p should work fine here, no Git Bash quirks involved:

• In oldfile.txt: gg (top), yG (yank all).
• :e newfile.txt (open new file in same Vim).
• p (paste). It drops the content right after the cursor.
• :wq to save.

If p still fails (e.g., pastes nothing or garbled), it might be a yank issue—try "+yG instead of yG if clipboard is supported, then "+p.

2. Pasting External Text into Vim (From Windows Apps)

If you’re copying from outside (e.g., select all in Notepad, Ctrl+C, then want to paste into Vim):

• Method 1: Use Git Bash’s Built-in Paste (Easiest, No Vim Changes Needed)
  1. Open your file: vim newfile.txt.
  2. Enter insert mode: Press i.
  3. Right-click in the Git Bash window (this pastes from Windows clipboard directly into the terminal/Vim).
     • Alternative shortcuts: Insert key, or enable Quick Edit mode in Git Bash (right-click title bar > Options > Quick Edit) then use Ctrl+Shift+V.
  4. Press Esc to exit insert mode.
     • Pro Tip: If pasting multi-line text looks weird (extra newlines or indents), it’s often due to Windows line endings (CRLF vs. LF). Fix with :set ff=unix in Vim before pasting, or use :%s/\r$//g after to strip carriage returns.
• Method 2: If +clipboard is Supported (Direct in Vim)
  1. Copy text externally (Ctrl+C).
  2. In Vim command mode: "+p (pastes from system clipboard after cursor) or "+P (before).
  3. For your workflow: After deleting in old file, switch to new file and "+p.

3. Copying from Vim to External (Yank Out to Windows)

• Internal yank (y) stays in Vim—use terminal copy for external.
• Select text in Vim: v (visual mode), move cursor to select all (ggVG), then y.
• To copy to Windows: Right-click > Edit > Copy (or highlight and right-click > Copy).
• With +clipboard: "+y instead of y, then Ctrl+V elsewhere.

Troubleshooting Common Git Bash + Vim Paste Glitches

• Garbled Text (e.g., Partial Lines or Extra Spaces): Disable bracketed paste in Vim (:set paste before entering insert mode, then paste, then :set nopaste). Or add set paste to ~/.vimrc for always-on (but it disables some features like auto-indent).
• Nothing Pastes: Ensure you’re in insert mode for terminal paste—p in command mode is internal only.
• Mouse Interference: If right-click selects instead of pastes, toggle with right-click on title bar > Options > Mouse > Quick Edit.
• For Deleting All Before Paste: In your workflow, after yanking, use :%d to clear the new file, then paste.

This should get you pasting smoothly! If it’s still not working (e.g., share what exactly happens when you try p), or if you’re pasting from external sources specifically, let me know for more tweaks.

How do you copy and paste into Git Bash
Copying from Windows clipboard in Vim
How to copy paste contents in the vi editor

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